The present invention relates generally to article carriers for motor vehicles and more particularly to such article carriers which include adjustable article restraining bars thereon.
Article carriers or luggage racks are becoming increasingly popular as a useful and decorative accessory for a motor vehicle. Such carriers commonly include supporting rails secured to a portion of a motor vehicle and having article restraining bars extending therebetween. In some such carriers these restraining bars may be provided with means adjustably interconnecting them with the supporting rail members so as to enable varying size articles to be easily restrained therebetween by merely adjusting the spacing therebetween. In such cases the article restraining bar will have a slidable member interfitted within opposite ends thereof and partially disposed within the support rails in sliding engagement therewith and may include fastening means which cooperate with an associated clamp member to secure the restraining bar in position. In some cases these clamp members may be disposed within the supporting rails with the fastening means retaining them in proper operative position. However, should an individual inadvertently overloosen the fastener means, the clamp member may fall out of proper position within the support rail thus necessitating removal and disassembly of the entire carrier in order to recover it.
Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved article carrier of the type having adjustable article restraining bars which include means for retaining associated clamp members in operative position even in the event fastening means are inadvertently removed therefrom. Thus, the present invention allows a user thereof to reinstall the fastener means in operative relationship with the clamp member without the need to completely remove and/or disassemble the carrier. Also, the present invention provides lateral support rails and associated stanchions for securing the carrier to a motor vehicle which are particularly designed to provide a greater enclosed area for any given size carrier than is provided by conventional racks of a comparable size.
Additional features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the appended drawings.